The Art of Charitable Promotions By Monica Schuloff Smith I f you take a look around, you’ll find there are needs everywhere. You’ll also discover that giving isn’t relegated to just the holiday season anymore. In fact, charitable events and causes seem to be a growing trend in most industries, including cosmetology. According to Ted Ning, director of LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, a lifestyle research organization), as an increasing number of consumers become LOHAS-focused, it’s important for today’s businesses to be aligned with charitable causes. “More people are seeking to purchase products and services that are in line with personal values,” Ning says. “Charity is a good start, but it needs to go deeper than that. Social elements need to be embodied by salons— workforce communications and empowerment, green initiatives, community giveback.” One spa owner who has been giving back since before it became a trend is Bruce Schoenberg, who says he’s always operated with the philosophy that “givers get.” As the owner and CEO of Oasis Day Spa, which has several locations in the New York City area, he’s been involved with charity events since 1998. “When I give, it does come back to me—I have to think that it does. I have to believe that we are making a difference. It takes a lot of drops in the bucket and we’re playing our part,” he says. Experts agree that because salons are in the business to make people feel good, supporting causes like those that help women and children are a natural fit. “On a business level, supporting charities also exposes your business to potential new clientele, new press outlets, and networking opportunities,” says former spa owner Ameann DeJohn, founder, CEO, and consultant at Ameann Solutions. Barbara Schumann, founder of The Schumann Legacy and owner of the Touche spa, agrees. “The most important thing is to pick something you are passionate about,” she says. “When you are passionate, others will become excited by your energy.” The Schumann Legacy helps foster children transition from the foster-care system when they turn 18. “These children are either being harvested by criminals or at the very best are left to their own devices making bad life choices out of desperation. This struck a chord deep inside and it has become my passion,” Schumann says. “When I owned Luxe Spa in Rochester, New York, we had a two-day event that raised more than $5,000 for the New York Chapter of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). We had news coverage from all the major networks in those few days and we were one of the largest single donors that year to NCMEC. This cause was near and dear to my heart, so we had a wonderful story to go along with our event that everyone involved with could really feel and relate to on their own personal level,” DeJohn recalls. Schoenberg gives thousands of vouchers and gift certificates yearly, which equates to about $100,000 in services, products, and discounts. He chooses highly visible, well-known and respected charities such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the American Cancer Society. “Avoid obscure organizations where only a small percentage of people are helped,” he says. “If you choose something that people have an awareness of, they may not have been impacted personally, but will more than likely know people who have.” It’s also important to know the percentage of funds that are donated to an actual cause, he notes. “Environment was big before the economic crisis, but it is hard to sell that to consumers now who have become more practical and have put green-oriented services a bit on the back burner,” Ning says. “I think the biggest opportunity is to promote health and wellness.” He points to the national fervor over healthcare reform as a natural theme for these times. If you commit to a cause, be sure you follow through, because nothing is worse than over-promising and this may harm your reputation and integrity, Schumann says. Charitable events and causes let your clients know that you are socially conscious and that you’re not just a business that wants to take—you give, and giving can be infectious. Monica Schuloff Smith is a Miami-based freelance writer, editor, and industry consultant, and is the former editor in chief of Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa. She has authored hundreds of articles related to the spa industry. Smith is a member of the Florida Board of Cosmetology. She can be reached at [email protected].